Mourinho cites Arteta to defend the time his project needs

José Mourinho cited Mikel Arteta as an example to defend the time his work at Real Madrid requires. “He has said that he is just starting,” he noted, referring to the Arsenal manager’s comments about his project. After 18 days without football and Real Madrid’s defeat to Atlético in the latest derby, the team’s play drew criticism. Mourinho did not sidestep his responsibility for the situation, but also stressed that, in his view, the dismissals of Kang In Lee and Cuti Romero should have affected the match.

The Portuguese coach said he had spent several days analysing the game, but did not want to focus only on the idea that it should have been played eleven against nine. He nevertheless argued that two days of training were not enough to change his team’s principles of play, including its defensive shape or the number of players in midfield. “It goes much further than that,” he explained.

To illustrate his call for patience, Mourinho brought up Arteta, who renewed his contract with Arsenal after six years in charge of the club, as presented in the context of his remarks. He also relayed the manager’s view that his project was “still starting”. Mourinho described Real Madrid as emerging from a difficult period and acknowledged that the club’s past success changes the scale of expectations. Some improvements can be made gradually, he said, while others require more time.